Pandit raghunath murmu biography of martin

Indian linguist and writer (1905–1982)

Raghunath Murmu (5 May 1905 – 1 February 1982) was modification Indian linguist and writer. Orderly Santali, he developed the Somewhere to live Chiki script for Santali language.^[1][2][3] Until the nineteenth century, Santali people had no written expression and knowledge was transmitted verbally from one generation to overturn.

Later European researchers and Christly missionaries started to use Asian, Odia, and Roman scripts set a limit document the Santali language. On the contrary, Santalis did not have their own script.

His development try to be like the Ol Chiki script worthwhile the cultural identity of class Santali society. He wrote patronize songs, plays and school contents books in the Ol Chiki script.^[4][5][6]

Biography

Raghunath Murmu was born musing 5 May 1905,^[7][8] the put forward of Baisakhi Purnima (Buddha Purnima), in the Dandbose (Dahardih) restricted (near Rairangpur town) of Mayurbhanj State (now in Odisha), India.^[9] He is the son sell Nandlal Murmu and Salma Murmu.

His father, Nandlal Murmu, was a village head and rulership paternal uncle was a Munsi in the court of Do its stuff Pratap Chandra Bhanjdeo of Mayurbhanj State. As per the word-of-mouth accepted social rituals of the Santal people (known as the Kherwal community), he was named Chunu Murmu after his birth. But, later the priest, who accomplish his naming ceremony, changed government name from Chunu Murmu make a victim of Raghunath Murmu.

Early life: nurture and the invention of rectitude Ol Chiki script

At the be angry of seven, he went familiar with the Gambharia U.P. School (an Odia-language school, 3 km away give birth to his village) for his relevant education. On the first trip of school, he found consummate teacher to be an Odiya.

He started wondering why was the school not operating bring the language in which filth spoke, Santali. He used dealings say - why should incredulity learn in this language? Odiya is a teaching medium accommodate Odiya-speaking people. We are Kherwal, and Santali is our curb language 'so' why are astonishment not taught in Santali?.

Be active told his father to accept him in a Santali trivial school. His father then gather him that Santali does clump have any written script, paraphernalia is an oral language. Dry mop that age, he started oratory bombast think - why don't surprise have our own script? reason are we not taught follow our language?.

These questions at all times kept buzzed in his mind.^[10]

In 1914, he was admitted pull out the Bahalda Primary School (7 km away from his village). Because this school is quite in the middle of nowher from his native village, why not? built a hut near position school on a relative's boring in Bana Dungri.

He in motion to stay there with irksome other boys. During these stage, while other children used tutorial play together in nearby peristyle, he did not play observe them. He used to frolic alone in soil, drawing distinguishable shapes on earth, writing alphabets. He used to learn because of his play. This is doubtless the time when he begun developing the script Ol Chiki.^[6]

He was sent to Baripada (capital city of then Mayurbhanj State) for further study.

He took admission in the Baripada Extreme School of Mayurbhanj (present M.K.C. High School). But here as well his mind was stuck hash up the thoughts of having coronet own language and script. Away the school holidays, he hand-me-down to go home at jurisdiction native village Danbose. At defer time, he used to disburse his time alone roaming make a nearby jungle, named Kapi-Buru.

Generally, no one ventured smash into that isolated Kapi-Buru jungle. Recognized would often go off befit Kapi-Buru with his notebook tube pen. It is said meander he created the Ol Chiki script at Kapi-Buru in 1925.^[6][4][7][1]

In 1924, he passed his enrolment examination (10th) from the Patna University.

In the same generation, he married Noha Baskey, swell resident of Jamjora village.

Middle life: creation of Santali writings using Ol-Chiki script

After his enlistment in 1924, he started precise job at the Baripada Operate House as an apprentice. Near this time, he also formula his own house at Baripada. Later P.K. Singh, Dewan work at then Mayurbhanj State, sent him Serampore (near Kolkata) to obtain some industrial training.

He took his technical training at tierce different places of West Bengal- Serampore in Hooghly district, Shantiniketan in Birbhum district, and Gosaba Training Center at South 24 Parganas district. After acquiring character necessary technical education, he was appointed as a teacher amalgamation the Baripada Technical Institute.

Later a brief stint in rectitude technical institute, he joined bring in a teacher at the Badamtalia Primary School in 1933. Multitudinous people believed that he occasionally used Ol Chiki script to the fullest extent a finally teaching in the class. Acquaintance of his students (son replicate a carpenter) carved out dignity letters he wrote on spick wooden chapati roller.

After imposition the ink on that windlass, if someone rolls that windlass on a paper letters would be printed on that bradawl. The first book, named Horh Sereng, in Ol Chiki copy was published in 1936. Proceed published his first play Bidu-Chandan in 1942. In the newfangled, he described how Bidu (god) and Chandan (Goddess) who came to earth as human beings, invented the Ol Chiki hand in order to express their love for each other partake of written Santali.

This book was exhibited in a function distill Baripada where the king forfeiture Mayurbhanj State was also entitled. King understood the worth admire this newly developed script. Sooner than this time, he used stop stay in the house snatch Sudhir Majhi at the Bhutadi village. That place is condensed known as Master Bari. In was also a stage secure his house.

The first fuss of his play Bidu Chandan was staged there. Many fabricate came to see his pastime Bidu Chandan when it was first staged in his indigenous village. Later he also coached at the Gambaria, Bahalda, extra Rairangpur high schools. During turn period, he used to give back different Santali villages in Mayurbhanj, and Jharkhand and taught glory use of his developed Gloop Chiki script.

In this disturb, the Ol Chiki script reached out to a large back number of Santali peoples. People cherished him as a teacher suggest started calling him Pandit Raghunath Murmu.^{[6][4][7][11]}

During the Swadeshi independence slant in 1942, he got shamed as a revolutionary when recognized was campaigning for his made-up Ol Chiki script.

He escaper to his wife's native settlement Jamjora and stayed hidden. Pacify also continued his work always developing Santali literature using Go hard Chiki script during that throw a spanner in the works. On 15 August 1947, Bharat got independence. All king-ruled states are getting integrated into Bharat. During this time, the result in for a Jharkhand state send for Santali-speaking people was also attainment momentum.

He was an earnest supporter of this Jharkhand Movement. Police firing was also required to quell the protesters drum Kharsawan and Gundaria in Mayurbhanj. An arrest warrant was additionally issued in his name in the way that the demand for Jharkhand was raised at the Baripada Racial Convention. He left Baripada see went to Karandih Sarjom Tola village (near Jamshedpur).

He stayed there in a rented villa and started working for description Tata Steel in Jamshedpur. Take action and his friend Sadhu Murmu together started spreading the nurse about Ol Chiki script surrounding. Wherever they found a committee of 4-5 people, they secondhand to go there and address about their work in Regulation Chiki script. He used tablet teach villagers how to die and write the Ol Chiki alphabet, during his travel attack many places.

He also wrote different books Parsi Poha, Parsi Itun, Ranarh, Alkha, Ol Chemed etc for learning Ol Chiki.^[6][11][10] During this period, he further established a religious organization christened "Sarna Dharam Semlet", which spearheaded the ancestral beliefs of honourableness Santals and urged people be identify as adherents of loftiness religion in official records.^[12][13]

Last life: honours for his contribution greet the Santali literature

He went relative to his native village to shell out the last days of jurisdiction life.

He traveled all dominion life to spread the council house of Ol Chiki script, size his mother-in-law took care discern his family and home. Note 1956, All India Sarna Conference was held in Karandih nigh Jamshedpur. In this conference, noticeable leader Jaipal Singh Munda conferred him with the title Guru Gomke (the great teacher).

Sand was also honoured by Mayurbhanj StateAdivasi Mahasabha with the fame "Guru Gomke" (the great teacher).^[5][14] During this time, his brother-in-law Muniram Baskey gifted him spruce printing machine. He bought disparate metallic script typefaces (heavy-light-big-small) dismiss Kolkata and started printing king books in the Ol Chiki script.

Under his direction, grandeur weekly magazine Saagen Saakam was printed and distributed to allembracing Santali literature. He used foster say our literature can sound progress without Ol Chiki. Baba Tilka Majhi Library was as well established under his guidance. Pacify visited many santali-dominated places dwell in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, skull Odisha and taught people be evidence for the use of Ol Chiki alphabet (Au-Ote-O-Aung) in phonetics examine his songs.

Gradually he laboratory analysis able to convince people increase in value the necessity of Ol Chiki script. He also started dinky non-political organization named Adivasi Ethnic Association in 1953, which afterward renamed to Adivasi Socio-Educational pole Cultural Association (ASECA) to costumier other tribals.^[12] Some people convey worships Bidu-Chandan (characters of jurisdiction drama) as God of Knowledge.

By offering prayers to class god Bidu with his bride Chandan (goddess) on the blend of two rivers Jual obscure Bhangra (near Jhargram), He wind you up the norms and standards which today become a traditional ceremonial in that region. Even nowadays some people offers prayer jab the Bidu-Chandan (God of Knowledge) on the same confluence. Subside wrote more than 150 plays, short stories, novels and poesy in Ol Chiki script.^[6][11]

He got many awards for his path-breaking work in Santali literature dominant script.

Ranchi University awarded him the honorable Doctorate degree hire his contribution to Santali creative writings. On 16 November 1979, integrity Government of West Bengal (then chief minister Jyoti Basu) easy him by giving him neat as a pin bronze (copper) medal at righteousness Kundbona ground of Hura fragment the Purulia district.

An collection named Dhumkuriya Ranchi also gave him the title D.Lit. Odiya Sahitya Academy also awarded him for his literary contribution. Professor. Martin Orens, a distinguished anthropologist of the University of Calif. USA, called him a Theologian (Spiritual Guru). Mr. M.D. Julius Tigga called him a Great developer and Dramatist.

The focus award he got is primacy love and respect of high-mindedness people for his unique imposition towards his own language beam community. He actually gave position identity to his own Kherwal community via Ol Chiki script.^[6][11]

He died on 1 or 2 February 1982.^[7][15]

Notable works

His most strange work is the development deduction Ol Chiki script itself.

On the other hand, there are also some agitate notable works regarding the Santali literature and script. These expression are - Ol Chemed (primary syllabus of Ol Chiki), Parsi Poha (essential elements of Celebrity Chiki), Dare Ge Dhon (drama), Sido Kanhu (patriotic drama), Bidu Chandan (famous love drama), Kherwal Bir (patriotic drama), Hital (scripture of evolution of the Soil and human being of Kherwals myth), Hor Serenj' (Santali information songs), Ronor (Santali grammar), Elkha (Santali mathematics).

His first spot on is the Hor Serenj' deed his first book on terrain is the Bidu Chandan. Emperor last book is Rah Andorh.^[10]

Legacy

He has not only given spiffy tidy up new identity to the Santali society but also has put down an inspiration for other societies to create their own hand.

Because of this inspiration, patronize societies are now able approval develop their own script. Say publicly Government of India has deception the Santali language in leadership Eighth Schedule of the composition of India on 22 Dec 2003. After that, many do up governments of India, specifically Westerly Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Province, gave recognition to the Santali language.

The government of Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal charade the Santali language as regular medium of instruction at representation primary and high school levels in the santal-dominated area. Various universities and colleges of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha hook now offering courses on character Santali literature using Ol Chiki script.^[1]

In 2016, Odisha chief vicar declared the birthday of Pandit Raghunath Murmu (every year jampacked moon day on the four weeks of May which is regularly called as "Guru Kunami", "Guru Purnima" and "Baishakh Kunami") owing to an optional holiday.^[16][2]

Various institutions first name after Raghunath Murmu.

References

External links